


The Stars Where You Are

by HeithChief



Series: SheithWeek2k16 [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, Sheith Week 2016, Sheith Week 2016: Together/Alone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-04
Updated: 2016-11-04
Packaged: 2018-08-29 00:57:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8469628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeithChief/pseuds/HeithChief
Summary: Day 2 - Together/Alone - High school/Childhood friends AU Keith and Shiro were friends for a year in Elementary school before Shiro left and moved away. Keith is haunted by dreams of a childhood friend he barely remembers. He knows Shiro only by Takashi, but can't put a face to that name. Shiro transfers into Keith's high school and remembers Keith immediately. Keith will take some convincing.





	

              _“Keith, my family’s moving tomorrow…I guess this is goodbye…” Keith knew the voice by heart, but as time went by the face went fuzzy. Six years had erased the face and he was only left with the name: Takashi, but it still haunted him._

_“Big brother no!” Keith ran after the boy but all he could see was his back. A white light blocked out the boy’s face and Keith couldn’t catch up to him no matter how many times he tried._

He sat up in bed reaching his hand out and winced. That dream again. It was short and flew by, but it always had same result. When he closed his eyes, and strained his brain, he could remember the boy.

_“Did you see his clothes?” The kids would giggle and point at Keith. They would whisper behind their hands. Keith couldn’t help that his foster family was poor and he only ever got patched up hand-me-downs. Even in third grade, being different was the kiss of death. It was sunny day in mid-September and recess time. Recess should have been Keith’s favorite, but it was just torture for him. There the kids could pick on him with limited teacher supervision. He school was small enough that all the grades shared recess._

_He had been cowering behind the slide as a group of boys threw woodchips and little pebbles at him. “Who gave you those clothes, Keith? The dumpster?” It was a dumb insult, but to a third grader, it hurt like a slap._

_A new shadow cut across his face and Keith shut his eyes. Not only were the boys in his grade coming to pick on him, but now an older kid was there to throw his weight around. “What’s going on here?”_

_“Whoa! It’s Takashi, he’s so cool!” The whisper rippled through the crowd of boys._

_Takashi stepped through and the boys parted for him. Not only was Takashi a fifth grader, but he was seen as cool by the boys in third grade. “Are you all right?”_

_Keith looked up and saw Takashi standing over him holding out a hand. The other boys gasped and dissipated. “I’m fine.” Keith stood up and wiped his cheek where one of the woodchips had cut him._

_“That’s not fair for them to make fun of your clothes. It’s not your fault your family can’t buy the things the other kids have.” Takashi had always been smart for his age and kinder than most._

_“I know.”_

_“Then let me be your friend. I’ll make them stop.”_

Keith sighed and rested his head on his knees. He could remember the event clearly, but he still couldn’t see Takashi’s face. Takashi had become his best friend and he was embarrassed now to admit he used to call Takashi ‘big brother’. It was a wonder that Takashi never got annoyed with him. He used to follow him everywhere, but Takashi would just smile and invite him along. The year after they became friends Takashi moved away and Keith became silent and withdrawn again.

He was used to being alone, but after that dream, his heart ached for companionship. He wondered where Takashi was now and if he still loved the stars like he used to. His favorite memory of Takashi was when Takashi came to his home after dark. He knocked on his window, which had luckily been ground level. They snuck out and went to the hill in the park. He laid next to Takashi and his friend named all the stars and constellations.

The ache twisted like a knife as he looked around his barren apartment. He had run away from his foster home at 15 and gotten a part-time job. He applied everywhere until someone accepted him. A year later he had his own apartment. He was way too young to live his own, but he paid his rent on time so the landlord didn’t care. He kept his classmates at a distance, even now, as a sophomore in high school. People, besides Takashi, had only hurt him or neglected him. He was fine on his own.

* * *

 

“Did you see the new guy?”

“He’s totally hot! With his undercut and his white fringe…I wish I could run my fingers through it.”

“Forget his hair, I want to be hugged by him so I could feel his muscles around me!”

Keith rolled eyes and wanted to tune the girls out, but they were so damn loud. He watched them as they squealed and giggled together. He hoped for the new guy’s sake, that they weren’t his type.

“I heard he’s a senior though…probably won’t go for a sophomore.”

_Takashi would be a senior by now._ He thought wistfully and was glad when the bell rang to start class. English was his least favorite, but he was still acing it anyway. He needed his grades if his track career ever failed to get him a scholarship. They were watching the movie adaption of _One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest_ today so at least he wouldn’t have to participate in a class discussion. He actually liked the book, but they day after the dream was always torture. His thoughts were all over the place and his emotional wounds would open up again. That dream left a big, gaping, raw hole in the pit of his stomach.

He ran out of class as soon as it ended and went to math class. He was in advanced math in a class of mostly seniors. It made sense to him and he learned new formulas easily. Math was just logic after all, unlike studying novels, which were up to individual interpretation. It always pissed him off that there was never a clear answer. In math, at least it was always black and white, right or wrong. He took his normal seat in the back of the class, reveling in the same-ness of this class.

“Everyone, we have a new student joining us today.” The teacher announced. She gestured to a tall, muscular senior. Keith’s eyes immediately gravitated to his hair. Black and white just like the girls had described. This was a disruption in his routine. He had to admit, the new kid was as attractive as the girls said. But they were totally wrong about his best feature, they left out his eyes. They were a dark gray and should have looked cold, but they held so much warmth. They showed immense kindness and suddenly Keith was hit with a wave of déjà vu.

“Hello, my name is Shiro and I’m happy to be in class with all of you.” Shiro’s eyes scanned the crowd until they landed on Keith. His eyes lit up with recognition and his lips parted in a small gasp. He suddenly remembered he was in front of the class and went to take a seat. He wanted to sit next to Keith, but the back row always filled up first. He was stuck with the front row.

_Those eyes…their warmth…so much like Takashi’s…_ He shook off the thought. _No, it couldn’t be, he said his name was Shiro. And I don’t even remember what Takashi looks like anymore. If only my family hadn’t been too poor to buy a damn yearbook!_ He focused on the rest of class with only half of his attention. Luckily this was the second day they were covering derivatives and he already got them on the first day. The bell rang and Keith was ready to leave first, but Shiro had stopped him. He could have just walked around Shiro, but something was drawing him to Shiro.

Shiro wanted to call him by name, but he didn’t see the recognition in Keith’s eyes. _Keith doesn’t remember me…well it has been six years. At least he’s dressing better now. Those holes in his jeans look purposeful now instead of just worn._ “Hey, my calculus class hasn’t covered derivatives yet, do you think you could lend me yesterday’s notes?”

Keith stared at him in wonder. Out of all the people to ask, Shiro had asked _him_? He looked down at his appearance. His hair was overgrown; he wore the same studded black leather jacket and variations of torn skinny jeans every day. He had always meant to look like the least approachable person possible. He did have to take out the lip ring for work, but at school he thought it kept people away. “Uh, sure.” He dug in his backpack and took out his notebook and handed it over. He saw a flash of black on Shiro’s nails when he took the notebook. Shiro had similar style, but he made it look more mainstream and casually cool. “Well, see ya.”

Shiro watched him go. _Well that didn’t work at all. I froze up! I wanted to tell him who I was, but I was too nervous. I’ll have to try again._

* * *

 

The next day Shiro waited for Keith outside of their math class. He felt his heart start pounding the minute he saw Keith round the corner. Had he always felt this way toward Keith? He shook his head, no, they were too young then. This had to be new. Keith was really attractive, he had to admit that. “Hey Keith, I have your notebook.” Keith stopped in front of him and raised an eyebrow. He didn’t remember introducing himself to Shiro yesterday. Shiro rubbed the back of neck and blushed a bit. “Oh, your name was on the inside. You take really detailed, readable notes, thank you.”

“Yeah, no problem.” He took the notebook and started to head inside when Shiro called out to him.

“Keith wait.”

Keith’s eyes carefully looked over Shiro. He looked nervous and he was biting his lip. Keith suddenly realized what was about to happen. Shiro was going to ask him out. Several girls had confessed their love for him in a similar. Somehow being withdrawn and quiet made him mysterious. Then there was that bad boy craze thanks to the many movies and T.V. shows protaying a sexy bad boy who just wanted to be loved. “What?”

“Would like to go star gazing with me? I know this place with a great hill, it’s near Regents Park.” Shiro hadn’t meant to sound like a date, but then again, he wouldn’t mind that at all.

“Are you asking me out? I don’t date.”

“It doesn’t have to be, we could go as friends. I’ll be there on Friday night around 8:45. Feel free to drop by and if you don’t you’ll be missed, but I’ll be there regardless.” Shiro gave him a warm smile and went into class.

Keith stared after him and his heart was racing. _I want to go… and my heart... What’s wrong with me?_

* * *

Keith sat at his desk, doodling in his sketch book. He looked up at the clock and it read 8:29, if he left now, he’d be on time. It was only a ten-minute drive from his place. _Regents park and star-gazing, huh? That is way too much of coincidence…what if Shiro’s a nickname or something? No. I can’t get my hopes up._ He lingered for several minutes, before he stood up and grabbed his coat. He shoved his feet into his boots, knowing he couldn’t stop now. This was probably a bad idea, but he couldn’t stay away. He had to know.

He arrived at the park around 8:57, he was over ten minutes late, maybe Shiro left. Worry sat in the back of brain as he approached the hill. What if this was a joke? What if Shiro was in with the popular kids and they were playing a prank on him. Or what if Shiro changed his mind. His anxiety calmed a little when he saw only one figure sitting on top of the hill. He took a deep breath and climbed the hill.

“Keith, you actually made it. Come here, I want to show you something.” Even in the pale light of the moon Keith could see his smile and those same warm gray eyes.

Keith sat down next to him. “What is it?”

Shiro pointed to the sky where one star shone brighter than the rest. “That star, the really bright one is called Sirius. It’s actually the brightest star in the night sky and it’s a double star, 20 times brighter than our sun. It’s part of the constellation called Canis Major.

A wave of déjà vu hit Keith so hard and he heard Takashi’s voice in his head telling him the names of stars and constellations he learned from books he read. Takashi’s face was no longer fuzzy and it came into view. It looked exactly like Shiro’s face but younger. Was that his memory or did Shiro just remind him of Shiro. “Takashi…?” He hadn’t meant to say it, but it just slipped out.

“Yes. I thought you didn’t remember me so I thought I’d take you to our place.” Shiro turned toward Keith with a smiled. “It’s really good to see you again. I’m glad your clothes look nicer now.”

“Wait you’re really Takashi? Then why did you introduce yourself as Shiro?” Keith narrowed his eyes at Shiro/Takashi.

“That is my name, Takashi _Shiro_ gane.”

“That’s still misleading. If you wanted me to remember you, you should have just introduced yourself as Takashi.”

Shiro laughed. “It was a force of habit. I started going by Shiro after I moved.”

“Why?”

A little blush dusted over Shiro’s cheeks and he was glad it was dark so Keith couldn’t tell. He looked at Keith for a moment before answering. Keith was so beautiful in the moonlight. “Because it reminded me of you. I missed you so much and I was bitter that my parents made us move.”

“That’s a load of crap.” Keith narrowed his eyes skeptically.

“It’s true.” Shiro smirked and remembered something. “Maybe I should have introduced myself as ‘Big Brother Takashi’.”

“Don’t you dare. That was so embarrassing.” Keith covered his face with his hands and groaned. “I was surprised you didn’t ever try to leave me out or something. You really let me follow you around everywhere.”

“I thought it was sweet. I always wanted a little brother or sister, but I was only child. That’s why I was so angry at my parents. They made me leave my little brother behind.”

“I never knew. You always more a brother than any of the foster kids in my home.” Keith pulled his legs up against his chest and rest his chin on top of his knees.

“Did you foster father get a better job? You do look better taken care of now.”

Keith shook his head. “I don’t live there anymore. I pay for things with my part-time job. I take better care of myself then they ever would. They just wanted the tax break, they didn’t give a shit about me.”

Shiro’s heart broke for him and he scooted closer. “I always did.” Shiro wrapped an arm around him and held him close.

“I know. I fell apart when you left.”

“I not going anywhere this time. I’ll always be here for you.” Shiro lay down on the grass pulling Keith down with him.

“Tell me about all the constellations again, Takashi.” Keith whispered. He didn’t know how much he cared about the stars, but seeing Takashi’s passion always made him happy. This is what it felt like to be together.


End file.
